


hold onto the memories, they will hold onto you

by spinning_out



Category: Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, New Year's Eve, angst but it’s barely there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:40:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28397832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spinning_out/pseuds/spinning_out
Summary: New Year’s Eve was always an exciting time at the Mythic Quest studio.For David, it meant making sure everyone was having a good time, while also dealing with feelings of his own.
Relationships: Brad Bakshi/David Brittlesbee, David Brittlesbee & Sue Gorgon
Comments: 9
Kudos: 14





	hold onto the memories, they will hold onto you

**Author's Note:**

> this is the littlest thing but i made david’s favorite tea be peppermint, because my favorite kind of tea is also peppermint 
> 
> *sighs* give us season two now please, mr mcelhenney 
> 
> anyways i hope you enjoy! the title is from New Year’s Day by Taylor Swift

**_December 31, 9:15 AM_ **

New Year’s Eve was always an exciting time at the Mythic Quest studio. Everyone was excitedly chattering about what they did over holiday break and what they were looking forward to in the new year. David walked beside Brad, accepting the cup of tea out of his hands. That’s how it went most mornings, Brad would make himself coffee in the kitchen area, and make David a cup of tea, too. Brad drank black coffee, and David liked peppermint tea, so that’s how they made it every morning. Whether David was already in their office, or even if he hadn’t made it into work yet; there would be tea waiting for him. It was just an unspoken rule in their friendship, though Brad often didn’t like to admit that they were friends. David still appreciated the gesture, and he definitely appreciated the tea. 

“Are you excited for the New Year’s party later?” David asked, taking a careful sip from his mug as he sat down in his desk chair. Brad sat on the end of his own desk and rolled his eyes.

“Probably not as much as you are.” Brad teased.  
“Oh, come on. Where’s your enthusiasm? You missed the last two because-”  
“I was sick last year and I didn’t go to the first one,” Brad cut him off. “You never let me forget.”  
“I just want you to have fun.” David mumbled into his cup.  
“I’m sure I will, Davey.”

David choked on his tea when he heard the nickname. That was another thing about Brad, he always seemed to know the little things that would get a reaction out of David. Like the nicknames, for example. There was a variety of them; Dave, D-Train, and D-Man all being the most common. But occasionally, Brad would call him “Davey,” and he would react pretty much the same way every single time. His face would turn pink and his mind would go blank, turning him into a flustered mess. David wasn’t sure why it had such an affect on him. His wife used to call him Davey though, so he was used to it as a term of endearment, rather than the taunting way Brad always said it. That was really the only _logical_ explanation David was willing to come up with.

Brad laughed quietly and David’s heart fluttered at the sound, breaking him away from his thoughts. He coughed once more, setting his mug down on the desk to avoid spilling it. David smiled sheepishly and locked eyes with Brad again, who was still looking at him. The edges of Brad’s mouth were curled up in a smile and his tongue was peeking out between his teeth. 

“Stop laughing.”  
“Your reaction to that name is priceless.” Brad responded with another laugh.  
“Do you want me to start calling you Bradley all the time?” David warned. “Because I will.”

Brad froze for a moment. “Touché.”

David had turned back around in his chair, but he could still feel Brad’s gaze on him. David faced Brad again, making eye contact with him. He saw Brad’s eyes study him up and down for just a moment, before biting back a smile. David tried to hide the obvious blush that crept up his cheeks. Brad smirked as he took a long swig from his coffee.

“What are you looking at?” David asked nervously.  
“Nothing,” Brad said. “You’re just ridiculous.”  
“I hate you.”  
“No you don’t.”

Brad smiled at him one more time, before hopping down from his desk and exiting their office. David rolled his eyes once Brad was gone, a smile spreading across his face. 

“No, I don’t.” David said softly to the empty room

**  
_December 31, 5:30 PM_  
**

“Brad, can you pass me the tape?” David asked, reaching his hand down from the ladder he was standing on. 

Brad was holding the ladder steady and looking nervously up at David. He handed him a roll of scotch tape for David to hang the streamers with.

“Please be careful,” Brad advised. “You tend to be very accident-prone.”  
“I’ll be fine.” David said. 

The ladder wobbled slightly and David didn’t think he’d ever seen Brad look more nervous.  
David insisted that Brad help decorate for the party this year, so that’s pretty much how he got looped into this. Holidays were taken pretty seriously at MQ, and a majority of the staff was allowed to leave early until the actual party started after hours. David, Ian, and Poppy were the ones to always stay behind, and this time Brad joined them too. Ian and Poppy were both in charge of food, drinks, and choosing good music. Brad and David had the job of decorating this year. 

David secured the end of the light blue streamers to the wall outside of the conference room. He tossed the tape back down to Brad, who nearly dropped it trying to keep the ladder steady with his other hand. The ladder wasn’t even very tall, and a fall from that height would only hurt a little. David liked to know that Brad cared though. 

David turned around halfway to look at the now decorated office. Streamers and lights were hung up around the walls and soft music was playing from the speakers in the main studio. The music would occasionally turn on and off, or switch rapidly between songs, which David soon realized was just Poppy and Ian arguing over what to play. David let out a content sigh before making his way down the rungs of the ladder. Brad was offering him a hand almost immediately, and David was caught off guard by it. He was so surprised that he missed the second to last rung of the ladder, stumbling down onto the floor. 

Brad tried his best to catch David as he fell, but his skinny frame wasn’t exactly strong enough to stay standing. They both landed on top of each other, laughing. David stood up first, reaching his hands out to help Brad to his feet. Brad took hold of both David’s hands. He pulled Brad up with ease, and the two of them were standing right across from each other, close but not quite touching. David could smell Brad’s expensive cologne and he felt his face flush. Brad’s eyes were looking into his, obviously scanning for something. What he was looking for, David couldn’t tell. 

“Can I-“ Brad began, before being cut off by the sound of Ian yelling. 

Both of their heads snapped in the direction of the noise. 

“David! Can you come in here?” Ian called, partially leaning out of the window to his office.  
David looked back at Brad.  
“I should probably see what he wants.” David said, adding a nervous laugh.

Brad nodded and looked down. He seemed almost disappointed. 

David turned to go towards Ian’s office when he realized he was still holding both of Brad’s hands. He dropped them quicker than he probably should have, and felt the air hit his now surprisingly cold hands. David turned around to look at Brad once more before opening the door to Ian’s office. 

“You rang?” David said, popping his head into the room. 

Ian was at his desk and looked up at David from over the top of his glasses.

“I have a question for you.”  
“Uh, okay, what is it?”  
“What’s going on with you and Brad?”  
“Oh, I fell off the ladder before and knocked him over, so I was helping him up.”  
“That’s not what I meant.”  
David looked at him quizzically. “I don’t think I understand.”  
“You two were standing incredibly close, staring at each other, and holding hands.” 

David’s face turned a bright shade of pink.  
“How long were you looking at us for?”  
“I heard you both fall down and was seeing what was going on, so long enough.”  
“Oh,” David said softly, unsure as to why he felt embarrassed. “Nothing’s happening between us.”

Ian raised an eyebrow and David rolled his eyes.  
“There’s nothing, Ian.”  
“Okay,” Ian said. “Just checking.”

“Is that really all you wanted?” David asked.  
“Yeah. You can go now if you’re sure there’s nothing you wanna tell me.” Ian replied.  
“Brad and I are just friends.”  
“Who said I was talking about Brad again?”

David opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn’t actually think of anything to say. He turned and began to leave instead.

“David?” Ian called.  
“Yeah?” David said, swiveling back around.  
“Don’t be afraid to take any chances tonight.”  
“Okay? Thanks, I guess.”

Ian nodded once and focused back on his computer. David stood outside the office door for another moment, trying to figure out what Ian meant. He shook his head when he just couldn’t quite get the answer. The whole conversation was confusing to him. David’s mind replayed the scene over and over, but eventually opted to think about it later. He didn’t need this consuming his thoughts for the rest of the night. 

David found Brad laying on the couch in their office, a Molecule Puzzle Cube in his hands. 

“What did Ian want?” Brad asked, not looking away from the cube. 

David came over and lifted Brad’s legs up so he could sit down. Brad didn’t seem to mind, putting his feet on top of David’s lap. 

“It was nothing.” David lied. He still wasn’t sure what Ian actually wanted, but he knew he didn’t have to share the details of the conversation with Brad. 

Brad quirked an eyebrow at him, eventually shrugging it off when David wasn’t saying anything. David studied him, noticing how focused his eyes were on the cube in his hands. He fiddled with it methodically, each move more careful than the last. 

David thought about Ian’s advice again, about taking chances. He breathed out quietly and rested a hand on top of Brad’s ankle. Brad stopped moving his hands for a moment, but they continued again slowly. He didn’t make a comment or anything, he just let David keep his hand in the same place. Neither of them spoke, they just sat and appreciated the peaceful silence together. If Brad wasn’t complaining about it, then why would David?

David knew that the small amount of physical contact wasn’t much, but nobody said the risks he took had to be very big.

**  
_December 31, 9:00 PM_  
**

David stood against the office wall, surveying the room that was now full of people, all bustling around and engaging in casual conversation. There were drinks and food, so most people in the office were slightly buzzed from the alcohol. David sipped the beer he was holding, taking in the atmosphere of the studio. It was all very uplifting. The decorations looked nice, and David mentally gave himself a pat on the back for the work he pulled off. He smiled softly and breathed in deep. The quiet lull of people talking was a surprisingly soothing sound. 

The entire staff was packed into the main room, a few of them accompanied by children or significant others. David saw Rachel and Dana standing and talking to Brad, Rachel’s arm around Dana’s waist. Dana leaned in at one point and placed a kiss to Rachel’s cheek. David felt a pang of sadness at the sight of it, his heart aching for someone he could hold close. 

This was the first New Year’s Party since he took the job that he hadn’t been able to bring his wife to. It was even difficult for David to attend the last Christmas and Halloween parties, knowing he didn’t have anyone to accompany him. Everyone at the office loved Anna, and they knew how hard the divorce had been on David. Even Brad had been there for him more than ever in the last passing months. David liked to think that he was doing great, but sometimes something as small as seeing another couple could make him spiral again. The corners of his eyes began to sting, but he blinked a few times to make sure no tears actually fell. Everyone else was having a good time, and he didn’t want to bring anyone’s mood down with his own problems.

David was broken away from his thoughts when he heard a loud laugh from across the room, which he immediately recognized as Brad’s. He looked over in time to see Brad with his head back, smiling widely. Rachel and Dana were laughing just as much. He liked seeing Brad happy. The reason for that was still filed away in his brain as something he wasn’t fully ready to think about. Brad’s smile was one of David’s favorite sights though, so those thoughts were just getting harder and harder to keep down. 

David smiled again and Brad caught his eye. He said something quick to Rachel and Dana, before walking towards David. David straightened his posture slightly and took another drink from his beer. Brad leaned against the wall next to him, their shoulders touching. 

“Hi.” David said quietly.  
“Hi.” Brad said back, matching David’s tone.  
“Are you having fun?”  
“Yeah, actually. I am.”  
David smiled. “That’s good.”  
“New Year’s was never really that big of a thing for me growing up, so this is a nice first experience.” 

David nodded, knowing exactly how Brad was feeling.

“Same with me,” David said, feeling Brad shift beside him. “My parents fought too often to ever throw an actual celebration, so I would usually sit in front of my TV and watch the ball drop by myself. But after a while, when I first started working here, it made me happy to see how excited Ian always got around the holidays. It gave me something to look forward to. I guess I’m just thankful to get to keep doing this, even if things are a little different than what I’m used to. It’s been nice to celebrate with people who are like my family now. You, Pop, Ian… and even Anna was.”

David casted his eyes down and nervously swirled the drink in his hand. “Sorry, I’m talking a lot, aren’t I?”  
“It’s okay, Dave,” Brad assured. “I don’t mind hearing your thoughts.”  
A smile flashed across David’s face for a brief moment. “I just want you to have a good time tonight.”  
“Well you’ve done a great job so far.”

David smiled, genuinely this time, and Brad smiled back. Their shoulders were still pressed together, despite the fact that there was plenty of space against the rest of the wall. Brad and David turned their heads towards one another, still smiling. Brad’s eyes were dark, and the decorative lights above them casted shadows across his sharp features. David’s breath wavered for a moment when he fully noticed how pretty Brad looked. Brad’s eyes flicked down towards David’s lips and David swore his heart was gonna beat out of his chest. He cleared his throat and looked back ahead of him, taking another sip of his drink. He ignored the slightly disappointed look on Brad’s face.

“I’m gonna get a refill.” Brad said, gesturing to the champagne glass in his hand. 

He pushed himself away from the wall, David’s left side feeling much colder now. David smiled fondly as he watched Brad leave. 

A sudden realization hit David like a truck; he liked Brad. There was a part of him that always knew, but he was too scared to come to terms with it. David thought about how Brad would act around him, and began to notice that Brad might have liked him back. 

_So that’s what Ian meant._ David thought. 

Any risks he could have taken had left when Brad did, the moment between them being over. David scanned the room again, but he had lost sight of where Brad went. 

David only knew that he had to make sure the rest of the party went perfectly for Brad.

**  
_December 31, 10:45 PM_  
**

Brad didn’t come back for a little while, leaving David alone in the same spot by the wall. Sue called him over to where she was talking with Paul and Ian. Sue linked her arm through David’s, resting her head on his shoulder. 

David really liked spending time with Sue. She was arguably the sweetest person David had ever met, and she was like a sister that he never had. She was stuck in the basement most of the time, which she often admitted that it got lonely, so David went down to see her whenever he got the chance. They often ate lunch together, sharing stories about their days, or venting when they needed to. It was nice, having someone like Sue to call his friend. 

David continued to scan the room, looking for a sign of Brad anywhere. He wasn’t fully present for the conversation he was having with Ian, Sue, and Paul, and only remembered they were there when Sue shook his arm gently. 

“Huh?” David said, turning his head to look at Sue.  
“I lost you there for a bit,” Sue laughed. “You seem a little distracted.”  
“Oh, yeah, sorry.”  
“Is everything alright?”  
“Yeah, but can I talk to you about something?”  
“Of course you can.” Sue said with a kind smile. 

David led Sue away from Paul and Ian, they didn’t need to listen in on this conversation. David needed to get his feelings for Brad off of his chest, and he trusted Sue enough to tell her. They stood in a less crowded part of the office, and out of habit David looked around the room again. There was still no sign of Brad, which made David frown slightly.

“Why so glum?” Sue asked, noticing David’s expression.  
“I think I have a crush on Brad.” David blurted out.  
“David, that’s great!” She said excitedly, pulling David into a hug. “I’m glad you told me.”

“Thanks, Sue. But I don’t know what to do about it. Do you think it would be too early if I told him tonight? I mean, it hasn’t even been a year since Anna and I split and I don’t know if he even likes me back or if he’d be freaked out by me telling him I’m in love with h-”

“David, hon,” Sue said, cutting him off. “You don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for.”  
“I know.”  
“But if you are ready, I suggest just going for it. Rip it off like a Band-Aid, y’know?”

David nodded, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He smiled at Sue and she hugged him again. David hugged her back and realized how incredibly lucky he was to have a friend like her. David pulled away when he heard a familiar voice speak up.

“Am I interrupting anything?” Brad asked, pointing a finger at David and Sue.  
“Not really,” David replied quickly, smoothing out his flannel. “Did you need something?”  
“I was looking for you, actually. I got swept into a conversation when I went to get another drink before, but you were gone when I came back.”  
“Oh, well, hi. I’m here now.”  
Brad laughed. “Hi.”

David blushed and found it hard to take his eyes off of Brad. Sue looked back and forth at the two of them. She patted David on the arm.

“I’ll leave you guys to it. It was good talking to you, David.” Sue said cheerily. “Bye, Brad.”  
“Bye, Sue.” Brad and David said in unison. 

_You got this._ Sue mouthed to David, giving him a double thumbs up. 

David’s blush darkened, now feeling very jittery. Brad moved to stand next to him. They weren’t even alone for a minute when Ian came bounding over to them. 

“David, we’re running low on champagne. Do you think you could run out and get some?” Ian asked.  
“It’s 11:00, wouldn’t I miss the ball drop?” David said, looking at his watch.  
“Not if you go now. There’s a liquor store that’s within driving distance.”  
“I’ve been drinking, Ian. I shouldn’t drive.”  
“Just take an Uber, or a taxi, whichever.”

David pondered for a moment. “Okay, fine.”  
“Great, thank you so much.” Ian said, already walking away.

David sighed and walked back to his office to retrieve his jacket. It was late December, so the warmer he could be, the better. David didn’t even realize Brad had been following him until he grabbed his own jacket as well. 

“What are you doing?” David asked.  
“Oh, I’m coming with you.” Brad said, wrapping a scarf around his neck.  
“You don’t have to do that.”  
“It beats staying here and talking to people I don’t even like. Plus, I want to.”  
“We’d better hurry, then.” 

David walked to the door, Brad following close behind. They stepped out into the night, cold air filling their lungs. Los Angeles never got particularly cold, but the temperature was much lower outside than it was in the office. David flagged down a cab fairly quickly, giving the driver the address to the store a few blocks away. Brad and David sat in silence for a majority of the drive, besides the occasional comment about passerby outside. David noticed how close his and Brad’s hands were on the seat in between them, but David held back from reaching out to intertwine them. Brad knocked his knee into David’s, and David fought back a laugh when he looked over at Brad. Brad wasn’t much taller than David, but his long legs were barely fitting in the back of the taxi. It was cute.

**  
_December 31, 11:30 PM_  
**

It had taken them about 15 minutes to get to the store, and David was thankful it was one that was open 24 hours. They purchased the champagne as quick as they could, walking back out onto the street. David could see lots of cars up ahead, and it took him a bit longer to catch a taxi this time around. His nerves were getting more and more shot as the time passed. They had just under 20 minutes to get back to Mythic Quest, and David was worried about making it in time. When a cab finally pulled over, David grabbed Brad by the wrist to lead him into the car. Brad got in first, David following behind. 

“Woah, Davey, slow down.” Brad said in an attempt to calm David down. “Are you okay?”

If David was being honest, he wasn’t okay, and the nickname Brad called him washed over him. There was no way he could begin to communicate all that was going on in his head, so he only told part of the truth. 

“Yeah, I just don’t wanna miss watching the ball drop or anything.” 

There was much more to it than that, David was still nervous about being alone with Brad. He didn’t think he would tell him that yet though. As they rode back to the office, David couldn’t stop biting his nails and bouncing his legs. 

“We’re gonna be fine.” Brad reassured, not even needing to ask to know that David was starting to lose his cool.  
“Yeah, sorry. I’m probably freaking out more than I should.” David explained, shaking his head.  
“It’s okay.”

David looked to Brad, who was staring out the window and fiddling with the loose ends of his scarf. The reflections from the streetlights shone in from outside, casting a glow over both of them. The lighting looked like something out of a movie. Brad’s head turned back around to look at David, and he smiled. Brad seemed to be gradually inching closer, beginning to lean in, when the car came to halt. Brad and David lurched forward, grabbing onto each other’s arms for stability. They looked at each other, both confused as to why their cab stopped so suddenly.  
Brad looked out the window, glancing ahead of where they were sitting. 

“There’s tons of cars in front of us.” Brad stated.  
“None of them are moving either, are they?”  
“Nope.”

David looked at his watch, panicking when he saw that it was already 11:50. There was no way they could make it in time. David sighed and pulled out his phone, sending a quick text to Ian to let him know their situation. The taxi continued to move forward, but only in very slow increments. 

After sitting for what felt like eternity, but wasn’t even actually 5 minutes, David leaned forward towards the driver. 

“Is there any way to get out of this?” David asked.  
“Traffic jam,” the driver responded simply. “I can’t do anything to change it.” 

David put his head in his hands. He ran his fingers through his hair repeatedly, twisting small strands of it. He checked his watch again, which was probably a mistake, and the minutes ticked by faster than he wanted. David huffed, making a slight whining noise with each exhale. Brad pulled one of his arms away from where he was still messing with his hair. Brad took David’s hand in his own.

“David, look at me.” Brad said. David turned his head, glancing nervously downward at their intertwined hands.

“It’s fine if we don’t make it back in time.”  
Brad squeezed David’s hand.

“You’re okay.”  
Another squeeze.

“I’m right here.”  
One more squeeze.

David let out another long breath, blushing when Brad rubbed his thumb across the side of David’s hand. He put his head against Brad’s shoulder, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand. 

“I’m sorry.” David mumbled.  
“For what?” Brad asked.

David held onto Brad’s hand tighter.

“I was really excited for you to come to the New Year’s party at the office, and it made me happy to know you were having a good time. When you mentioned that you didn’t celebrate it growing up, I just wanted the night to be perfect for you. Now I feel like I messed it up somehow.”

“David, you didn’t mess _anything_ up.” Brad explained.  
“Brad, I don’t need your pity.” David snapped.  
“I’m not pitying you. Despite everything, I’ve been having a great time tonight.”  
“Really?”  
“Yes, really. I _like_ spending time with you, if you hadn’t noticed.”  
“Sorry for assuming you were trying to pity me, I didn’t have to snap at you.”  
“It’s okay, Davey. I know you’re stressed.”

David blushed again, hiding his face by burying it further into Brad’s shoulder. The nickname was only getting more and more common, and the way Brad was saying it wasn’t in a mocking fashion. Maybe it never had been. 

Brad pulled his phone out of his pocket, looking at the screen for a few minutes before handing it over to David. David looked at him quizzically but took the phone, letting go of Brad’s hand in the process. David lifted his head and smiled at was on the screen. Brad had found a livestream of the New Year’s Eve ball drop. 

“I know it’s not the same as watching it with the MQ staff,” Brad said. “But there’s only a minute left and we’re obviously not going anywhere.”  
David laughed. “Thank you.”

They sat pressed together in the back of the taxi, huddled over Brad’s phone. In the last 10 seconds, Brad and David counted down quietly to one another. 

_3 seconds_

Brad sat up, looking at David rather than the phone.

_2 seconds_

David turned his head, locking eyes with Brad.

_1 second_

Brad put a hand on David’s cheek and pulled him in close. 

**_January 1, 12:00 AM_ **

David made a surprised, yet definitely not disappointed, sound at the feeling of Brad’s lips on his. They were soft, and they tasted faintly of champagne. David’s eyes fluttered shut as he kissed Brad back. David dropped Brad’s phone onto the seat, just so he could put his hands on Brad’s arms to keep him close. One of Brad’s hands remained on David’s cheek, the other moving to the back of his head and running through his hair. The kiss was long and heated, but neither of them wanted to pull away. They had both been holding back from doing this for so long. 

Brad eventually pulled away first, and David instinctively tried to lean back in. They were both out of breath, smiling at each other.

“Happy New Year.” Brad said.  
“Uh huh, yeah.” David responded, still awestruck. 

Brad snickered and planted another kiss to David’s lips. They were so focused on each other that they hadn’t even realized the car was moving again. Brad picked up his phone from where David had dropped it and shoved it back in his pocket. David was still staring at him, unable to tear his eyes away. 

Brad just kissed him. _Brad_ just _kissed_ him. 

The car pulled up outside of the MQ studio, and they stepped out of the car together. Brad handed the driver some cash and wished him happy holidays. The driver didn’t say much, and drove back off into the night. David theorized that he wasn’t very thrilled about Brad and David making out in the back of his cab. David stifled a laugh at the thought of it.

They paused outside of the doors to the office, David turning so he could be face to face with Brad. 

“Before we go back inside, what’s happening with us going forward?” David asked nervously. He watched as Brad looked off for a moment, thinking of what to say. 

“I’m sure we’ll get some questions, and Carol will probably make us fill out paperwork, but why not just make things official?”  
“Earlier, Ian told me to take more risks, and I like you a lot, Brad,” David said. “So fuck it, let’s make things official.”

Brad grinned. “Well, will you be my boyfriend?”  
“I absolutely will.”

Brad leaned in to kiss David excitedly again. David smiled into the kiss and felt Brad smile back. 

“Thank you for tonight, Davey.” Brad hummed.  
“You’re welcome, but I think I might die if you call me that name around other people.” David joked.  
“You’re cute.”  
David’s cheeks went pink again. “Shut up.”

Brad began to walk away but David yanked him back by the front of his scarf. His hands cupped the sides of Brad’s face, pulling him into another impassioned kiss. Brad gripped David’s waist tightly. He pulled away with a starry-eyed grin plastered on his face. David laughed at him for being so flustered. Brad rolled his eyes and David leaned up to press one final kiss to the scar on his nose. 

“You ready to do this?” Brad asked, sticking his hand out.  
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” David responded, linking his fingers with Brad’s.  
“I’m definitely looking forward to next year’s party now, too.”  
“This one will be hard to beat.”

David really thought that was true. Sure, there were plenty of things that went wrong that night, but the good most definitely outweighed the bad.  
David had never felt so close to someone as he did with Brad, and the comfort of it was unlike anything he had even known. He was actually ready to take new risks, starting by walking into the office, hand in hand with Brad.

David was looking forward to the new year, knowing it would be filled with so many new experiences that he would get to go through with someone he cared about so deeply.

A new year full of staying up late with one another, and waking up early with their limbs tangled together. 

A new year full of even more embarrassing pet names, despite David’s protests to not use them in the office. 

A new year full of learning things about each other, and finding out ways to become closer. 

A new year full of the same playful banter they had already grown so used to. 

A new year full of warm embraces, adoring stares, and enough tender kisses to last them both a lifetime. 

A new year full of Brad and David being in love.

**Author's Note:**

> i couldn’t resist including a scene of david and sue because they’re best friends
> 
> kudos/comments are appreciated as always
> 
> thank you all for reading my fics throughout this year, i’m so thankful for all of your support! 
> 
> here’s to 2021 <3 <3 <3


End file.
